Recruiting by Creating a Core

Recruitment starts with a core group that:

- Makes "involvement" look fun
- Can be articulate and convincing about the benefits of involvement
- Is proud but not arrogant
- Remembers how they thought before they became involved
- Works with other clubs and organizations to create a culture of engagement

One of the best investments a campus can make in recruiting is to unite all the groups on these above points.

I see way too many campuses where the people involved seem stressed out all the time and spend an awful lot of time complaining about the administration, the other groups, the rest of the student body, etc. etc.  Of course it is hard.  It really is.  It's just that when the attitude goes negative, that's negative marketing, straight from the core. 

The other thing that can happen is that student leaders get good.  They think, correctly, that their education experience is better for their involvement.  Of course it is.   There are many studies that show involvement does create a better education.  The challenge is to not get uppity about it, but instead work to share what has worked for you - in a way that is not condescending. 

I write this because the first step in so many conversations begins with "them".  Meaning those that are not involved.  Conversations or trainings start with "How can we get them to be involved?"  It is better, I think, to start with "us" - those that are involved.  How do we feel about being involved?  How do we show this? 

The core group is the foundation.  Solidify that first.  Then build up, and out, from there.  Depending on the state of your campus, recruitment might be a bit of a slog - you'll need all the rock solid team members, communication, and support you can get from your core group.